All Posts in Retailing Tips

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
This Veteran-Owned Sauce Brand Proves to Retailers That “It’s Gon Be Good”

John Walden, Founder and Chief Quality Assurance/Quality Control Officer of J.W. Southern Sauce grew up in restaurants. His parents and family worked long careers in the service and restaurant industry, where he learned a lot about what makes a good meal. The secret? Sauce. While his love for food and delicious sauces sparked at a young age, manufacturing and producing his own masterful sauces was a new endeavor. From 2005 to 2011, Walden served in the United States Army, where he completed two combat tours in Iraq. While serving in the Army, he started developing J.W. Southern Sauce, born through his collective experiences across several countries and many years of trying to make military food more flavorful. Several years and lots of hard work later, the one-of-a-kind LGBTQ-, veteran-, and now Black-owned and operated brand launched on March 18, 2021. 

J.W. Southern Sauce

We mustard from the beginning 

Before launching J.W. Southern Sauce, Walden received formal education about the sauce manufacturing industry by attending an array of food-safe programs and the University of Georgia’s Department of Science and Technology’s Better Process Control School. From there, he needed a message behind his brand, something that represented all his hard work and would resonate with …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Hitting the Big Time: Are You Ready for Retail?

Many small businesses and startups are conceived to bring new and unique products to market. Entrepreneurs often start by selling their products via local boutiques and company websites. However, to reach a wider audience and achieve greater success, you will need the bigger, broader sales channels and supply chain acumen of retail and e-commerce marketplaces to help you grow. Here’s what it takes to make that leap: 

Establish credibility with major retailers

Before you can sell your product through a national retailer, you must sell it to them. In addition to pitching your product, you’ll have to pitch your company – and prove your ability to meet their requirements. Scale is an obvious point: do you have the production capacity to meet the retailer’s needs? If demand takes off, will you be able to meet it? 

You also need to demonstrate your company’s credibility in a marketplace that utterly depends upon customer satisfaction – timely delivery, sufficient supply, reliable quality, and product authenticity. The gatekeepers will carefully vet new products and suppliers, so it’s important to work within an infrastructure that supports the retailer’s systems and reputation. 

One key qualifier large retailers look for is the implementation of a standardized, …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
What To Look for in Your UPS and FedEx Contract

UPS and FedEx contracts are complex and confusing. That’s by design. The details of your carrier contract can make a huge difference in your total shipping costs. For most businesses, shipping is one of the biggest expenses. It’s also one of the most challenging to predict and control since the parcel and freight shipping world is an ever-changing landscape with carriers able to add fees and change your costs at will. With shipping rates at an all-time high, too many are unknowingly being overcharged by their carrier. 

The secrets behind shipping costs

We’ll uncover a few hard truths about shipping with UPS and FedEx. The reality is the UPS/FedEx duopoly dominates parcel shipping. There are other players in the game like regional carriers, the USPS, and postal consolidators, but the “big two” still dominate the market share for parcel deliveries in the United States (excluding Amazon’s in-house deliveries). 

The "Big Two" Parcel Carriers

Without competition, there’s no transparency. And without transparency into your shipping data, you lack the visibility and insight necessary to make cost-saving shipping decisions. 

There are a few reasons why UPS and FedEx customers are overcharged:

FedEx and UPS can increase their rates without notice (peak surcharges) It’s challenging to understand what…
Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
10 Tips for Emerging Brands to Navigate Distribution Success
Fiona Lee and Larissa Russell

You’ve scaled your production, cultivated your unique branding, and grown your presence in the Consumer Packaged Goods world. Now, you’re ready to boost your sales, visibility, and reach through nationwide distribution. Where do you begin? How do you find the right distributor?

There are a few key factors to keep in mind as you kick-start a launch into retailers nationwide. The experiences we’ve had growing our Pod Foods platform have taught us a number of lessons that we’re thrilled to share with others who are looking to grow their own emerging brands. Consider the following ten factors to ensure a strong, enjoyable, and cost-effective partnership with your distributor:

1) Prioritize transparency               

It is critical to select the right distributor for your expanding business and to determine a transparent and reliable platform that will work as hard as you do to get your products placed. Prioritize the distributor that delivers the most insightful look into your company’s sales, inventory, shipments, and analytics, as these metrics help support your retailer relationships.

Additionally, keep in mind that efficiency is paramount in this industry. Emerging brands rarely have surplus cash to waste on supply chain inefficiencies, so make your distribution partner aware of …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Making Sense of Scents: A Look at the Fragrance Industry

The scent of roses takes me back to my childhood garden, while frying bacon transports me to my grandmother’s kitchen.

Of the five senses, smell is our sense most closely tied to memory. More perfumiers are catering to that, with personalized fragrances and a new generation of perfumes targeted at today’s shoppers.

Scents remain popular with consumers. According to a 2021 Mintel report, Fragrance Trends in Beauty, 51% of American respondents wear perfume even when they’re not leaving the house, and 62% use fragrance to boost their mood.

Personalized perfume

Some perfumiers are offering quizzes to help customers select scents. Most of Pinrose’s customers opt to take the company’s online quiz, says Nancy Shalek, CEO. It was developed with scientists and the company regularly analyzes quiz results to ensure customers like what it predicts for them and often updates the quiz to keep it relevant based on consumer feedback.

Katrina Sellers launched Jules & Vetiver because she was tired of seeing mass-market perfumes “marketed the same way they have been for decades: with fancy, expensive-to-produce custom bottles, celebrity endorsements, flashy ads. It’s focused on selling an image, and almost no attention is paid to what’s in the bottle.”

Jules & Vetiver

But customer …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:

One of the most intriguing coverages you may hear about in business insurance is inland marine insurance. While it has nothing to do with the sea, it has everything to do with protecting the stuff you use in your day-to-day business activities. 

Inland marine insurance is a first-party coverage. A majority of the policies you use to insure your business can help in the case of your business or product causing damage or inflicting injuries—but what if something damages the equipment you need to run your business? That’s where inland marine insurance may be able to help you. 

What is inland marine insurance? 

Also known as business personal property insurance, inland marine is a type of insurance for the tools, equipment, and other types of moveable property you use to run your business—while on the job or being transported across land. If an insured item is stolen or damaged, your insurance policy may help you repair or replace the item. 

Who uses inland marine insurance? 

If you regularly transport property or store it away from your primary business location, you should consider adding inland marine insurance to your business insurance plan. 

Inland marine insurance is often used by businesses who: …

Read More